BOARD01648

• Board Meeting Date: 7/20/2004
• Description: CWCB Director's Report
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

Entities that have been a part of the project for some time but also were in attendance were: Denver
Water, Division of Wildlife, Colorado State Parks, Castle Rock, Central Colorado Water Conservancy
District, and the Mt. Carbon WCD.

The next meeting is scheduled for August 11 and Denver Water's Three Stones Building from 9-
11 :30 AM.

The recent momentum is based on presentations by the Corps of Engineers at project meetings in May
and June 2004 that confirmed that there is 20,600 AF of additional storage space available at Chatfield.
Options to achieve that storage space are: a 3.5 foot parapet/wave wall, increase outlet works releases
from 5,000 cfs to 7,000 cfs, a site-specific antecedent flood study that is a 40% PMF rather than the
existing 50% PMF (one similar study conducted at Cherry Creek Reservoir reduced a 50% PMF to a
38% PMF), and enlarge the spillway from 390 feet to 490 feet.

We will keep you informed of the progress in this project and meeting minutes and study reports are
posted on the website in the Flood Protection Program's section of the web site.

San Juan River Basin

Lake Nighthorse: U.S. Senator Pete Domenici introduced legislation on June 8 to name the lake
created by Ridges Basin Dam, Lake Nighthorse, in honor of Senator Campbell's many years of service
to the State of Colorado and to the country. Ridges Basin Dam is part of the Animas-La Plata Project
and key feature of the 1988 Colorado Ute Indian Water Rights Settlement Act which Senator Campbell
devoted considerable time and energy to during his time in Congress. Senator Domenici stated, "It is
fitting that the Ridges Basin Reservoir, which was created pursuant to legislation introdnced and
shepherded through Congress by Senator Campbell bear his name."

YampalWhite River Basin

EIkhead Reservoir Enlargement: In 1993, the Recovery Program began work on a Management Plan
for the endangered fish species in the Yampa River basin (Yampa Plan). The plan is currently in final
draft form pending final action by the Management Committee of the Recovery Program. Among other
recovery actions, the Yampa Plan identifies a need for up to 7,000 acre-feet (at) of water to augment
base flows in the Yampa River, primarily below the town of Maybe II, during late July through early
October. To meet this need, the Yampa Plan recommends 5,000 afcome from a dedicated
augmentation pool established by enlarging Elkhead Reservoir with the balance of 2,000 af to come
from a 20-year lease from the Elkhead enlargement.

The Colorado River Water Conservation District will be constructing the approximately 12,000 af
reservoir enlargement with partial funding, in the form of a loan, from the CWCB. The Bureau of
Reclamation, acting on behalf of the Fish and Wildlife Service and the Recovery Program will acquire
a storage space easement and 5,000 afwater right from the River District, and will also enter into a 20
year lease for 2,000 af of water from the River District's pool in the reservoir enlargement. The
proposal is for Reclamation to convey the easement and water right, and sublease the 2,000 af of water
to the CWCB to monitor and protect instream flows to and through the Critical Habitat Reach on the
Yampa River. The Recovery Program has agreed to provide the funding for the 5,000 af of storage and
water right.

Since September 2003, CWCB staff has worked with the Department of Natural Resources, the River
District and federal agencies acting on behalf of the Recovery Program, to develop the numerous legal
documents and terms and conditions required to implement the proposed conveyance and lease of
water for endangered fish. This group has also met with environmental interests to discuss their issues
and concerns. At this point, final reviews and edits have been essentially completed, and the packet of

20